Liquid or water dispensers including water coolers are well known devices that that cool and dispense water. Free-standing water coolers include bottles of water placed spout-down into a reservoir within the dispensing machine housing. The water in the reservoir is accessed via a faucet. These devices include faucets for dispensing water in a controlled manner. These devices come in a variety of sizes and vary from table units, intended for occasional use to floor-mounted units intended for heavier use. Some units offer a refrigeration function to chill the water. Usually, these units do not have a place to dump excess water, only offering a small basin to catch minor spills. Some versions also have a second dispenser that delivers heated water that can be used for tea, hot chocolate, or instant coffee.
A drawback of conventional water dispensers is that the faucet is placed too low along the body of the dispensing machine, whereas providing reservoirs that are higher up creates tall and unstable or units. Furthermore, in certain markets there are requirements to sanitize water dispensers. This process is often lengthy and difficult. In addition, hands may touch parts of components that are in contact with water. In this process it often results in recontamination these parts.